Photo By Sgt. Raquel Barraza | Sgt. Maj. James Porterfield, sergeant major of Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, Calif., speaks to Marines during the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Master Sergeant and Gunnery Sergeant Committed and Engaged Leadership Professional Military Education course aboard Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., May 22. During the PME, leaders discussed ways to be better committed and engaged leaders for their junior Marines.
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The senior Marines learned new ways to be better leaders for their junior Marines.

“We have taught many classes about getting kneecap to kneecap with our Marines,” said Sgt. Maj. Eric Rummel, sergeant major of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron (HMM) 364 and lead instructor for the course. “This is all part of understanding your Marines and what’s going on in a Marine’s life. If you’re not doing that, you’re not a committed and engaged leader.”

They also discussed leadership at the staff noncommissioned officer level and covered subjects including the Staff NCO Creed, ethics and history.

“It has to start with education, but we have to [educate ourselves] before we can actually start leading, mentoring and training those Marines,” said Rummel.

The PME gave a chance for leaders from different sections and other military occupations to interact and learn from one another.

“The biggest thing leaders should get out of this is being together with their peers and networking,” said Rummel. “Learning better practices from each other and maybe trying something that one unit is doing that their unit isn’t.”

For the three days, staff NCOs looked at their Corps and emphasized one key leadership principle: know yourself and seek self-improvement.

“We are trying to get the staff NCOs to think where they are falling short and what can we do to fix it,” said Rummel.

Guest speakers at the PME, including Sgt. Maj. Ronald Green, sergeant major of I Marine Expeditionary Force, came to give feedback and advice to the leaders.

“When you lose the heart, the body dies; the staff NCO Corps is the heart,” said Green. “We define what we want the Corps to be; it starts with us.”

Senior leaders intend to continue spreading the Committed and Engaged Leadership initiative by providing these classes for Marines of all ranks.